AT&T Support Allows Expansion of UVI’s Summer Bridge Program

AT&T Regional Vice President for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands Ray Flores presents a check for $30,000 to help expand UVI’s Summer Bridge Program during a visit with some of the program’s students on July 9. Shown with Flores are, from left, program instructor Prof. Linda Wymer, AT&T USVI Area Retail Sales Manager Catherine Kling – who earned an Associate Degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from UVI in 1999, Flores, Interim Director of UVI’s Center for Student Success Maria Fleming, and Summer Bridge St. Thomas Campus Coordinator Jennifer Palmer Crawford. Earlier Flores shared the story of his personal struggle to achieve an education. “Never give up,” he told the students. “Don’t leave school. Make the USVI proud of you.”

AT&T has awarded the University of the Virgin Islands a grant of $30,000 in support of the University’s 2014 Summer Bridge Program. Summer Bridge is a free, five-week, residential program offered on UVI’s campuses on St. Thomas and St. Croix. It is designed to strengthen the critical reading, writing and math skills of participating students with intensive classroom work, while improving their chances for success in college. It is open to students who have graduated from high school and are planning to enter UVI in the fall.

Summer Bridge officially started on Saturday, June 21, with a joint opening ceremony videoconferenced between St. Thomas and St. Croix. Following that, individual familiarization sessions were held for the parents of the students who are now living in UVI residence halls. Classes began on Monday, June 23.

“We are grateful to have received this funding from AT&T,” said Maria Fleming, interim director of UVI’s Center for Student Success, which oversees the program. “This generous donation has made it possible for us to accept an additional 10 students into this year’s program. Since the Summer Bridge Program helps give these students a jump start into their college careers at the University of the Virgin Islands, without having to take any remedial courses, the students are more likely to complete their programs in a timely manner.”

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